There was a moment when I considered just going back to bed, but I knew I would regret it. There's something special about running in Mumbai. I had flown in from Mexico the day before the 2014 Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon 2014, but beat off jet lag and pushed myself to finish the 21 km race in 1 hour 58 minutes — my best time to date.

Flag off at the Bandra-Worli Sea Link

When you run the 21 km, you start just before the [Rajiv Gandhi] Sea Link. I love running on the Sea Link because it's usually so closed off. You can only drive, but this one time you get to run on it. It's what makes Mumbai special.

This time around, there were at least four times the usual number of people there. It was a stampede. Though my plan was to start slow and then pick up speed, if I hadn't run fast here, I'd have been run over. But that initial speed is probably what helped me clock my best time.

Turning onto to Worli sea face

Getting off the Sea Link onto Worli sea face is one of the most picturesque parts of the run.

This curve had lots of people standing on the sidelines and cheering. I saw these little kids, standing on the road and passing out sandwiches and lemonade. They must have woken up so early that day to get everything ready. It touched my heart. I really felt all the love this year.

The stinky Haji Ali stretch

Most of the run is a meditative experience. But this was the only portion of the run that makes me sad. The Haji Ali bit is my least favourite. The area is quite dirty and just stinks. I just want to get a big truck one day and clean it all up.

Hitting clean Chowpatty

We don't use the city very much. You're usually in a car and driving. How often do you get to just walk down the road?

When you're running on the streets, it makes you feel like you belong to the city. I feel like Mumbai is mine. I'm so much closer to the city when I run.

I felt this especially when running along Chowpatty. I always thought it was this crowded area and you don't really ever see the beach. All these years in Mumbai, I have never even been down that beach. But it's actually quite clean I realised. And the view is simply beautiful.

Taking the curve at Marine Driveat sunrise

I had a moment when turning the curve at Marine Drive, when the sun came up and I saw all these people running alongside me. All these people from different walks of life, Bollywood and bankers alike, young and old people sharing one thing — it's a pretty powerful feeling.

For most of us, running the marathon is about an individual goal. It's all about getting your best time. But then you also get this sense of camaraderie when you realize everyone's on a journey. When you see these people you really feel like you're not alone.

The last leg from Hotel Marine Plaza

I was so delirious by the last kilometre. I could not think of anything. Everything was a complete blur. My trainee Brinston Miranda just got in my ear, egging me on.

But the best bit was when you hear people shouting out to you. "Go Lisa!" "Just 2 km to go!" It was very motivating. I think more people should wear their names on their t-shirts when they run.